Murmurs Of A Windchime
by hambaagu
Summary: Uzumaki Kushiro was cursed with a recycled soul and foresight of the unspeakable tragedies that will befall Uzushio and his twin sister. What he could not foresee was the heartache would hurt a thousand times more. Even so, he will do his best to protect the people and places that gave him a second chance- at any cost. [Male!Uzumaki!SI-OC].
1. Wind and Water

**1\. WIND AND WATER**

* * *

To say that Uzumaki Kushina and Uzumaki Kushiro were different was to say that Ashina-sama had a grumpy streak— it was nothing short of a vast understatement. From the murkiest depths of their little hearts to the tips of their hair, the twins had absolutely nothing in common except their mutual love for Oji-sama and turtle-shell hotpot.

Akifumi smoothed a gentle thumb over the faded picture, taken almost three years ago. Kushiro and Kushina were first brought to him a few days after the death of his eldest daughter. In the sepia tones of the photo-seal, they were nothing but small bundles tucked in his arms.

"OJI-SAMA!" The aged man was shoved out of his reverie by his granddaughter's boisterous summon, accompanied by loud footsteps. He hurriedly replaced the picture on the shelf. "SHIRO IS BEING A WIMP AGAIN, DATTEBANE!"

With a harsh slam, the sliding door ricocheted into its frame. Akifumi was momentarily blinded by the noon Sun and salty wind. When his eyes finally adjusted, his granddaughter was gripping her otouto by a fistful of his short-sleeved robe, her cheeks flushed the same light red shade as her hair. She glared at her grandfather expectantly, anger simmering in ocean eyes. Akifumi felt a painful tug somewhere in his chest— despite those brilliant blue eyes that definitely did not come from his family line, Kushina's uncanny resemblance to her late mother will never fail to startle him.

Suppressing a sigh, Akifumi stood, his white robes rustling over the cypress floor as he towered over his grandchildren. "Kushina-chan...what did I say about treating your brother like that? Release him."

"B-but—" The spirited girl sputtered, grip tightening. Kushiro deflated in her grasp.

" _Kushina_. We do not harm family." Akifumi pressed, an edge of authority sliding into his tone. "For your transgression, I will ask Kushiro to explain what happened before you."

Kushina obliged with a glare at her twin, who relaxed as the iron-hold on his navy-colored robe was released. Akifumi waited until his grandson finally made eye contact to speak.

"Now, Kushiro-kun. Will you please tell me why your sister is so angry?"

Whereas Kushina was all energy and movement, boisterous like the swirling waters of Uzushio, Kushiro was calm and aloof, chilled like the fall winds that heralded mild winters. For Kushina, Akifumi was firm— for Kushiro, Akifumi was patient. Akifumi had tamed both water and wind in his long seventy years. Raising a pair of twins was a breeze in comparison.

"I didn't feel like playing Capture the Kusa-nin with Kushina and some other children. They took that as an insult and taunted us. Kushina got angry and started a fistfight, so I pulled her away and told her that she was overreacting. She retaliated by insulting the children before taking me to you." Kushiro spoke softly and slowly, as if each word was unfamiliar and required deliberation. His hair, the color of sea foam under harsh sunlight, fell in unruly curls about his face, nearly obscuring a pair of deep-set, pitch-black eyes. If Akifumi didn't know any better, he would've thought Kushiro was his younger daughter's child.

"B-but Oji-sama! They called Shiro-kun and me _bastards_ , dattenbane! And they made fun of Shiro-kun's hair! As the big sister, I can't let them say that..." By the time her brother finished, Kushina's anger had all but evaporated, leaving only tatters of bitter resentment. Outside, a flock of plump silver pelicans glided by, their large shadows speckling over the twins.

Akifumi's expression hardened as his voice softened. "Kushina-chan, please calm down. Tell me— when others treat you unkindly because of your heritage, what should you do?"

"Ignore them, grow strong, and then laugh at them when they respect your power." Kushina recited sullenly. Kushiro snorted.

Akifumi raised two stark white eyebrows. "...That is not what I taught you. Did Shiro-kun tell you that?"

"Yeah." Kushina mumbled, wringing her small hands as she muttered about 'the other bastard children', completely oblivious to the look Oji-san was giving her brother.

"Very well, then. You will ignore them, grow strong, and then laugh at them when they begin to respect your power. But don't forget; these children are your family."

Akifumi was suddenly acutely aware of how pitiful his grandchildren were— they spent most of their time with _him_ instead of fishing, diving, and picking wild seaberries with the other unapprenticed children. The Uzumaki raised children as a collective. Akifumi would gladly feed, bathe, and teach other people's brats if Kushina and Kushiro managed to bring any home. So far, that has yet to happen. Judging by his granddaughter's temper, his grandson's awkward maturity, and their rather _unkind_ reputation, Akifumi doesn't think they'll make friends anytime soon.

"Tell you what," Akifumi began, watching both of his grandchildren perk up at the phrase. "If you two mill some ink for me, I'll demonstrate how to link two storage seals and transport items between them. It is the basis of many systems on Uzushio."

"But ink-milling is boring, dattebane!" Kushina complained, though the quiver in her voice betrayed her anticipation.

"Come on, Kushina. This beats playing with them anyways. Oji-san never shows us his sealing, anyways." Kushiro yawned, hiding the grin tugging at his lips. Akifumi scoffed at his attempt to seem unperturbed— the little rascal was positively bouncing with excitement.

"Fine," The redhead huffed.

Moving in tandem, they rushed to the sealing cabinet. Akifumi watched in amusement as Kushina forced Kushiro down into a crouch, hopped onto his back, and rummaged around for the equipment. Kushiro looked somewhere between resignation and murder as Kushina took her time picking out shallow pans, chakra-stone shards, unrefined black ink, and empty clean glass vials.

"Let's go!" Kushina tittered cheerfully as she hopped off her otouto. Arms full of equipment, she rushed outside with another harsh slam of the door. Kushiro grumpily rolled up and ambled after her, picking up the items she had dropped.

Akifumi followed the duo outside, stepping onto the giant veranda that ran along the cliffside. He took a moment to relish in the glow of the beautiful summer day. Uzushio was not known as _Paradise Island_ by its neighbors for nothing. Akifumi's quarters were located at the lowest floor of the Uzumaki's Mountain Complex, which overlooked the sparkling azure bay that bisected the Island of Uzushio. As its name suggests, the Uzumaki Mountain Complex had been sculpted from the inactive volcano by carpenters and clever Suiton users. Their handiwork transformed the rugged mountainside into an ever-changing thirty-floor complex of stone, marshwood, and bright paint. It was a beautiful sight to behold, floating above the bustling seaside town of Uzushiryo, home to nearly two thousand civilians, shinobi, and non-Uzumaki Sealsmen.

"Seaberry sake, Akifumi-sama?" A pair of rosy-cheeked elders leaning against the railing offered with wobbling hands.

"Oysters, Oji-san?" A grinning apprentice, tan skin slick with sweat, held out a palmful of the gleaming shells.

By the time he arrived at the sealing room, Akifumi's hands and heart were contently full. The wooden planks below curved around the cliff-face and away from the apartments, opening up to a large patio of flat stone.

"Oji-sama!" With Kushina's loud voice and Kushiro's stark white hair, Akifumi easily picked out his grandchildren amongst the crowd. This time of the day, the sealing room was bustling with retired elders trying to digest their midday meals by slow-milling and apprentices scrambling to perfect their technique.

Akifumi ambled over, casually eyeing their set-up. The chakra stones were wetted to a high gleam under noon Sun— good. Each pan only had a thin film of ink— good. Counter-clockwise swirling— good. Using tongs to hold the stones as they filtered spun ink— good. Pouring the ink over the flat side of the rock—

"Wrong."

Kushina faltered, the sudden hesitation in her movement sending ink splashing into Kushiro's hair. After a quick squabble and a jug of water as a peace offering, the siblings resumed the procedure, this time with the rock's sharp point meeting the stream of ink.

Akifumi nodded his approval. Kushina beamed, prompting a small smile from Kushiro.

At first, his teaching method had been incredibly frustrating. Slow-milling was a twenty step procedure. But the hard work sure paid off. The twin have only been milling for three months, but the quality of their ink has progressed beyond most first-year apprentices.

"Hello, Chichiue." Akifumi stilled. The hubbub of the sealing room receded in the wake of the Uzumaki Clan Head's sudden arrival.

Akifumi rose to his full height, unbent by age, turning to face his youngest. "Uzumaki-sama." He bowed deliberately.

Yumei was a striking woman, with a presence that silently demanded attention. Willowy and tall, she moved like a seaberry branch in gentle wind. Like every high-ranked Uzumaki on the Island, she wore tight black under-clothes under a simple white shift robe. However, her over vest was dark gold, emblazoned with a bright red whirlpool— the only one of its kind. Instead of the Uzumaki's hallmark red shade, the long braid over her shoulder was a silver-white hue. In contrast, her brown eyes were dark enough to pass as pitch black. She could pass as Kushiro's mother, and Akifumi knew it irritated her to no end.

For a few tense seconds, she regarded his bow with a lifted chin. "Please rise, Chichiue."

"What brings you here, honourable Uzumaki-sama?" Akifumi demurred, stepping closer to his grandchildren.

"To see my niece and nephew, of course. Their third birthday is tomorrow, correct? I'm here to pay my respects." Yumei glided past her father. "Hello, Kushina-chan and Kushiro-kun."

To their credit, the twins mimicked their grandfathers' stoic respect with deep bows of their own. Akifumi watched the exchange calmly, ignoring the undisguised curiosity around them.

Yumei reached into the front fold of her white robe. Two small flat parcels wrapped in fish-patterned paper emerged.

"For you, Kushina-chan. And for you, Kushiro-kun." Each twin rose respectfully at the sound of their name and accepted the gift with the slightest hesitations and lowest "thank you"s.

"Please enjoy them. Good afternoon, everyone." She bade farewell to the sealing room, walking calmly away.

* * *

That evening, the trio polished off the last of a large steamed sea bass and a mountain of rice in Akifumi's humble living room. The presents laid untouched on the shelf, a visible source of tension. Kushina was droning on and on about an imaginary scenario in which she was a princess-kunoichi and Kushiro was her grumpy younger brother-turned-mad-Sealsman. Kushiro only looked half-insulted as she described his dramatic betrayal as he descended into madness, and only rolled his eyes once when she "used a cool good-guy seal array to capture him, dattabane!". It was an almost daily exercise that Kushina went through, a sort of post-meal digestive aid that mirrored Akifumi's reading, and she would always nod off after she defeated her brother in each elaborate story.

Once Kushina's snores became audible and a small puddle of drool began to form near her mouth, Kushiro's expression sharpened. He brushed the white curls out of his eyes, combing his fingers through them as if trying to form a ponytail. When he turned towards Akifumi, the expression in his eyes seemed much, much older despite the vulnerability in his eyes.

"Ojii-chan, am I—" he began, voice much faster and surer than that of a three year old child, only to be gently cut off.

"You're doing fine as a younger brother, as I have assured you many times in the past. I cannot reprimand you for your inability to interact with the other children, just like I cannot reprimand Kushina for her unwavering loyalty to you. " Akifumi spoke, voice low. He quietly set down his novel. "Come, let us continue this conversation in the study."

With practiced movements, Kushiro slipped a cushion underneath Kushina's head and followed his grandfather into the adjoining room. It was a small study lined with scrolls and odd trinkets from Akifumi's bygone Combat Sealsman days. It was sparse aside from several well-loved cushions and a sealing mat.

"Any visions today?" Akifumi asked, never one to tiptoe around his grandson's predicament.

"…no." Kushiro took a bit to respond, the adult-like focus almost silly on his childish features. "Well, I don't think. But when the children were taunting Kushina, I remembered something. I think…I think some girls bullied me in elementary school when I was...well..."

Akifumi let him trail off. Elementary school, as he had come to learn, was where the children in Kushiro's previous world received an education. It seemed quite inefficient, having children sit still all day and learn from bound scrolls. Silence descended upon the pair as Kushiro stared intently at the well-worn wooden floors. Akifumi gave him time.

"I was a tomboy, like Kushina." Kushiro's voice trembled as he slowly lifted his eyes to meet Akifumi's steady gaze. "Ojii-san…it hurts so much to see her get bullied too. I…I want her to be happy, _I_ want to be happy, I don't want everything to be _like this_ because I—" a sharp inhale.

Akifumi took a deep breath for both of them. No matter how many times he has seen that potent brew of agony, self-loathing, and frustration on his grandchild's face, it will never fail to knock the breath out of him.

"I _hate_ all of these memories." His grandson was crying now, face grotesquely contorted as he held back sobs despite the steady stream of tears already streaking down his cheeks. In the dim wash of moonlight and candlelight, Kushiro's pain was laid bare for all to see. "Oji-san, w-when I was born, why did _she_ have to stay?"

Wordlessly, Akifumi opened his arms and leaned forward, enveloping the child in his arms when Kushiro scrambled desperately into his lap. The awkward air of maturity and aloofness that his grandson wore like a cloak to keep others at bay in the daylight dissipated, leaving behind nothing but a confused and hurt boy. Akifumi tightened his hold and started to rock when Kushiro finally let his sobs run free, muffled against Akifumi's chest.

As the night trickled along with the crash of the waves in the distance, Akifumi steadily rocked Kushiro until his sobs faded into gentle hiccups and before finally petering out into even breaths of deep dawn birds had already begun their songs by the time Kushiro had succumbed to sleep, but it was the least Akifumi could do. After all, even a withered man who had tamed wind and water, killed countless enemy-nin in the name of family and survival, and seen the rise and fall of dozens of clans cannot even began to comprehend the tragedy of conscious reincarnation.


	2. Curling Spirals

**2, Curling Spirals**

* * *

 _It must be disorienting_ , Akifumi glanced towards Kushiro, _to be both three and thirty-two._

The elderly man was lost in thought as the trio trekked up Mount Uzushio, ignoring Kushina's complaints and Kushiro's corresponding grumbles. _Are those past memories static, nothing but a collection of experiences...or does it contain some kind of consciousness? Who is my grandson? Kushiro or_ her _?_

Akifumi still does not have answers to any of these questions, even after months of episodes like last night. He does not want to ask either, at least until Kushiro becomes more stable. But what would happen if he let his grandson's condition fester?

"OJI-SAMA!" Kushina bemoaned, chasing away Akifumi's thoughts. "Are we there yet?"

"Another half hour and we'll be at the peak." Akifumi stopped, turning to face the two out-of-breath children. "But maybe a quick break is in order."

"We can keep going, Oji-sama." Kushiro said, straightening with a purposeful look. It wasn't as effective as he probably wanted it to be, with his sweat-drenched hair covering his eyes. _Prideful little boy_ , Akifumi thought with fond amusement and just a tinge of unease. _Or is it the adult woman speaking?_

"Yeah, we're strong, dattebane." Kushina added.

"Well, if you insist. Have some water first, though."

Climbing to the top of Mount Uzushio was no easy feat for a man past his prime and two toddlers, even if their residence was already halfway up the mountain. By the time they neared the peak, the Sun had fully risen, basking all three winded Uzumaki in warm orange light. Up here, the scent of the sea gives way to deep musky woods. As the jagged rock gave away to a dark red temple looming behind beautiful white flowers, their exhaustion fell away to reverence.

Kushina cheered, Kushiro grinned, and Akifumi smiled. The three shared a rare look of happiness until Akifumi sobered up.

"Children, we did not come here just to enjoy the scenery, as beautiful as our shrine may be. There is an important reason for scaling Mount Uzushio on your third birthday. Well, two for us, but let's attend to the first order of business now. Follow me closely."

Both children stilled at the announcement, smiles falling away at Akifumi's firm and somber tone. The old man cleared his throat and headed towards the well-kept shrine, strides wide and powerful. The twins struggled to keep up, gawking at the polished smooth stone and neatly kept exotic white flowers around the imposing building. As they reached the pair of large statues guarding the entrance, depicting beasts with the front half of a fox and the lower half of a shark, Akifumi rapidly stopped and knelt to the ground, motioning for his grandchildren to do the same.

" _O'Keeper of the Resting Mountain, pardon our intrusion_!" Akifumi boomed towards the insides of the ornate shrine, using the strange lilting rasp of the ancient Uzushio tribal dialect.

After a few nervous moments, a deep female voice with an unusual timber answered. " _Welcome, young Uzumaki. Present yourselves to the shrine gates, and we will receive you._ "

"The Honoured One says to introduce yourselves at the gate. Go on." Akifumi whispered to the wide-eyed twins. "Don't be scared. This is the Chakra Entry Ceremony. You won't be able to see our shrine for a few years after this."

Kushina looked from her grandfather's smiling face to the looming shrine, and fear suddenly shifted to determination. Standing up quickly and surprising both her brother and grandfather, she marched past the shark-tigers and up the steps, almost tripping over her navy robes in her hurry.

"I am Uzumaki Kushina! Granddaughter of Uzumaki Akifumi, firstborn of Uzumaki Kumei, and uh….big sister of Uzumaki Kushiro!" She announced boisterously, bowing deeply to the open gates.

Kushiro's stoney expression fell away to shock and lingered there for a few moments before slowly warming to a large, toothy smile. Akifumi's heart stilled. It was the first time he had seen Kushiro smile like this. Then, with gravity, the boy strode up the stairs and mimicked his sister's bow.

"Uzumaki Kushiro. Grandson of Uzumaki Akifumi, second-born of Uzumaki Kumei and younger brother of Uzumaki Kushina." He repeated, voice wavering on Kushina's name.

" _You have been received._ Enter, young Uzumaki."

With one last glance towards their grandfather, the twins stepped over the large wooden ledge.

As soon as the twins entered, a middle-aged woman emerged soundlessly from behind an elaborate folding screen. Her hair was as red as they came, a true Uzumaki hue, with half of it tied into an elaborate knot at the back of her head. She wore a loose white robe and rich blue hakama secured with a gold sash. At her approach, the twins bowed.

"Kushina-mei, Kushiro-dei." She greeted, using traditional honorifics. "Quite fearless, even for Uzumaki children. I am the Keeper of the Resting Mountain. Today, you will wake him." As she spoke, the source of the strange timber in her voice was revealed. Her lower lip was adorned with a dozen gold rings, and a line of studs ran down the middle of her tongue. With each sound she uttered, the gold vibrated ever so slightly. Despite her daunting appearance, her presence was oddly comforting.

"Follow me. Before we can begin the ceremony, I must inform you of its tradition."

The twins trailed behind her as she led them on a twisting path through the shrine, past large tapestries and ornate columns. Under their feet, the wooden floors pulsed and swirled with dark ink, tightly curled seals humming with ambient chakra. Akifumi was a practical teacher, only teaching the art of Fuuinjutsu. The Red Shrine whispered its spiritual nature.

The Keeper slowed as they neared the far-end of the shrine. She had led them outside again, on a wide veranda. As Kushiro and Kushina neared the edge, they were once again treated to a breathtaking sight.

"Our home looks quite different here. Take a look."

Past the thin rolling clouds, stained pink from the morning Sun, it was easy to see the way that the mountain path spiralled down the bare cliffsides, through the Mountain Complex, and then trailing off into the seaside city.

"A spiral." Kushina whispered, voice mellowed by the view. "Everything is a spiral!"

There was a faint tinkling of gold piercings as the Keeper smiled.

"That means the shrine is connected as well," Kushiro added thoughtfully. "Does the path begin here?"

The Keeper gave him a considering look. "Perceptive little one. Or are you?" Kushiro flinched under her words.

"Nevermind that. Uzushio began here, and so will you. The spiral you see is actually a continuous seal, rich with history and purpose. We call it the Uzushio's Spine. It can guide you, protect you, and even defend you in times of need. Now— why are the two of you here? Uzuhio's Spine was built from years of collaboration from all Uzumaki clan members, whether or not they choose to become Sealsmen in the future. All Uzumaki who survive past the age of three must add their chakra to this seal, including the two of you."

She paused.

"Has Akifumi-sama taught you how to channel your chakra?"

The twins nodded.

"Of course." The Keeper pointed to a simple black circle embedded in the swirling ink behind them. "Put your hands in the center of the circle and channel your chakra to your palms or fingers— whichever is easier. One at a time. Oh, and...when you are done, come back over here. You'll like what you see."

Kushina took a step forward, but hesitation prompted her to look towards Kushiro as if asking for permission. Kushiro gave her a nod.

With uncharacteristic gentleness, Kushina treaded to the circle, laid her palms in the center, closed her eyes, and suddenly the circle spun to life. Kushiro would later swear that for a second the simple black ink morphed into chains, but it was probably just a trick of light.

"That's enough, Kushina-mei. The seal will get greedy." The Keeper warned, and Kushina complied. The spinning circle suddenly spiraled out into the rest of the seal, lighting up a slow path and accelerating as it rounded a corner.

Kushina paused momentarily in confusion before understanding dawned upon her. With an excited yelp, she ran over to the veranda's edge, just in time to watch her chakra-laden ink zip down the mountain path and gather speed with each spin before disappearing into the village below with a glint.

"AWESOME! I DID THAT!" Kushina cheered. "Your turn, Shiro-kun!"

The young boy took a deep breath and approached the circle warily. He knelt, put his hands down, closed his eyes, and channeled.

The circle spun, just like it did with Kushina, but after a few rotations, it split into two rings. Unaware of the surprised onlookers, he continued, with the outer circle growing disproportionally big each passing second. When he finally released and walked over to watch his handiwork spiral down the mountain, new questions and theories had been formed.

After Kushiro's ink had disappeared from sight, the twins were ushered back out of the temple.

"Thank you, O'Keeper of the Resting Mountain. We will remain here for another hour." At the sight of the trio, Akifumi stood and bowed to the Keeper.

"They did well," the Keeper replied. She wore a considering look as Kushina dashed back to her grandfather, babbling excitedly about her chakra. It wasn't until Kushiro had also returned to stand by his grandfather's side, looking paler than usual, that she spoke again. " _That young boy… keep a close eye on him. Don't let him wander too far_."

Akifumi looked up at her in shock, but the secretive shrine-keeper had vanished. Shaking away his fear, Akifumi looked down at his grandchildren.

"Congratulations, children. But let's not celebrate yet. There's one more thing I want to show you." Akifumi paused. "Let's go to the graveyard."

Kushina stopped mid-sentence, and Kushiro snapped up to meet his gaze. They both knew.

The small family was completely silent as they made their way around the temple, towards two warped willow-like trees. Each had a large kanji inscribed on its bark, hiding a seal underneath. _Silence_ , they said. When the three passed between the trees, they flared red.

Kushina huddled closer to Kushiro, twisting her grip into the sleeve of his robe as they gingerly made their way through tall and short grave markers of all different colors. After a few minutes, they rounded upon a plain grave near the edge of the grove, almost completely out of sight.

The trio stood still for a few minutes before the plain grave.

"Uzumaki Kumei," Akifumi read. "Fuuin Grandmaster. Died in childbirth." Here, the old man drew a shaky breath. "I thought the two of you should know a little bit about your mother."

A whistling breeze picked up, and Kushina's eyes began to water. Kushiro let her lean close as they watched their Grandfather's back.

"She was the most promising Sealswoman of her generation. You should be proud of her accomplishments. She finished her apprenticeship in 3 years— S-rank when she was 16— I can go on. We may not have always gotten along, but I had loved her more than anything regardless." Akifumi paused, swallowing.

"It was a hot summer night, sweltering. Three years ago, when they suddenly came to me. Kumei had died suddenly, right after she brought you into the world." Kushina was fully sniffling now, her iron grip on her brother's robe now on his hand.

Akifumi's voice softened. "The two of you are so, so strong. I'm very proud of you, and I'm sorry you must grow up so quickly. The others are so unkind to you."

"Is it because we have no father?" Kushiro asked, voice almost inaudible.

Akifumi's toned soured so much that both twins cowered. "Do not speak of that man. You have no father." The word was spat. "Bastard...what they call you...do you know what that word means? It means Kumei had betrayed her clan, finding a man who is not an Uzumaki."

The whistling wind picked up to a gale, and Kushina hiccuped away her tears, waiting until Akifumi's brief anger subsided to ask.

"D-does that mean it's our fault mother died?"

All at once, the tension seemed to escape Akifumi, leaving a deeply exhausted mourning man in its wake. "No, Kushina dear. I'm sorry I said all of that. It wasn't fair to you." He knelt to the ground before the twins, wrinkled face imploring forgiveness. "It wasn't your fault, and it will never be. Your circumstances were constructed long before you can even comprehend them, and there's nothing an old man like me can do to change that."

With all the gentleness in the world, he smoothed calloused palms over heads of white and red. "I only brought the two of you here to ask you to become strong, as strong you can dream of— for me, for your mother, and most importantly, for each other."

* * *

The rest of the day was spent in silence that slowly warmed to a tentative birthday celebration. Akifumi took them out for a swim by the seaside and made them a large birthday feast, complete with turtle shell hotpot for three.

"Shouldn't we open the gifts from Yumei-sama?" Kushiro decided to take a stab at the elephant in the room as the trio finished their meal.

"We should," Akifumi agreed. "But you may not like what you see."

Bellies full and hearts heavy, the twins carefully unwrapped the small boxes. Kushina lifted hers first.

Inside was a pair of kunai. "Konoha weapons," Akifumi noted. "Could be useful, I suppose. But for Yumei to give you these…" At Kushina's look of confusion, Akifumi decided to elaborate. "Giving an Uzumaki, young or old, a pair of combat weapons is an insult, Kushina-chan. It means the giver doesn't think your Fuuinjutsu is good enough."

Kushina seethed. "I'll show her! I'll be just as strong as Mother, you know!"

"Yes, you will," Akifumi encouraged. "Why don't you learn to use these weapons too? Turn her insult into a gift."

Kushiro took this time to open his gift, but what he found was no insult. He unfolded the thick paper, squinting at the stiff kanji before being gripped by shock. "Oji-sama...is this what I think it means?"

Akifumi scanned over the paper before sharing the same look of surprise. "I...this is certainly strange."

"What is it?" Kushina scrambled over, squinting at the formal writing.

"Yumei-sama has asked me to be her apprentice." Kushiro announced softly.


End file.
